indian cinema heritage foundation

Paasa Malar (The Flower Of Love) (1961)

  • Release Date27/05/1961
  • GenreFamily Drama
  • FormatB-W
  • LanguageTamil
  • Run Time197 mins
  • Length5427 meters
  • Censor RatingU
  • Censor Certificate Number31318
  • Certificate Date20/05/1961
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alias The Flower of Love

Rajasekhar (Sivaji Ganesan) becomes the guardian to his younger sister Radha (Savitri) after their parents' death. The brother-sister duo love, care, and adore each other and are inseparable. When the factory in which Rajasekhar works is shut down due to a labor problem and he is depressed, Radha gives him Rs. 1000/- which she had earned and saved by making toys. She advises him to use this money as seed capital and commence his own toy business. The dutiful brother follows his sister's advice, starts a business, and in a short time, becomes rich. Anand (Gemini Ganesan) an ex-colleague of Rajasekhar who earlier helped him to get a job in his old factory, is jobless and approaches Rajasekhar for work. Rajasekhar appoints him in his concern and over a period of time, Anand and Radha fall in love. Rajasekhar, who is very possessive of his sister, gets angry with Anand as he feels betrayed. 

However, knowing how intensely Radha loves Anand, he arranges for their wedding. After the marriage, Anand, along with his aunt and cousin, moves into Rajasekhar's house. Rajasekhar marries Dr. Malathy (M.N. Rajam) on Radha's suggestion. All of them continue to live under the same roof and several misunderstandings crop up. Anand's aunt uses every opportunity to widen the rift between Malathy and Radha and Radha and Anand. Unable to witness Radha's troubles, Rajasekhar moves out of the house with his wife. Through Radha, Anand's aunt serves legal notice to Rajasekhar, demanding a share in the property for Radha. Malathy files a counter-petition and the property is attached by the court, pending resolution. 

Unable to see Radha's sufferings, Rajasekhar withdraws the case. Still, the families don't unite. Radha delivers a girl child and Malathy delivers a boy child. After her child's birth, Malathy goes abroad for further studies, leaving the child with Rajasekhar. Unable to cope with the separation from his sister, and to have peace of mind, Rajasekhar goes on a pilgrimage for several months. He returns on a Diwali day and goes to meet Radha, but is denied entry by Anand's aunt. While going back, he saves a little girl from getting burnt by firecrackers and in the process, loses his eyesight. 

Rajasekhar is hospitalized and Radha rushes to the hospital to see her brother. Rajasekhar learns that the girl he saved is none other than his niece. Unable to cope with his inability to see them, he dies; Radha too dies holding his hand. The duo becomes an epitome of a brother-sister relationship. In the shadow of their deaths, the children unite and seek the heavenly blessings of their parents. 

(from the book Pride of Tamil Cinema:1931 to 2013 by G Dhananjayan, Blue Ocean Publishers, 2014)